Off-Road, Rail, Marine, and Aviation (ORMA)

Off-Road, Rail, Marine, and Aviation (ORMA) sits under the DOE Transportation Technologies Office and extends the office’s mobility work beyond on-road vehicles. The program covers off-road equipment, rail, marine, and aviation, and its stated focus is propulsion and vehicle technologies for US transport sectors that need better efficiency, cleaner fuels, or lower emissions. It is an active program area rather than a legacy reference page, and it is positioned as an expansion beyond road transport. The technical scope includes electric and hybrid powertrains, high-efficiency engines, renewable-fuel compatibility, emission-control optimization, and Synthetic Aviation Turbine Fuel. Funding is delivered through annual cooperative agreements, with US-based for-profit firms, nonprofits, universities, and research organizations eligible, while individuals are excluded. The sector restrictions keep the emphasis on off-road vehicles, rail, marine, and aviation. ORMA is a good fit for applicants whose work reaches beyond battery-only road transport and into fuel-flexible propulsion, lab validation, and system integration. The interagency and research footprint is broad, spanning EPA, DOT offices, NASA, national laboratories, industry, and universities, so proposals that can hold up in multi-partner applied R&D are the natural match.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.